IBM woos Oracle customers with latest version of DB2

IBM has unveiled version 9.7 of its DB2 database software earlier this week. On top of improved data compression and power efficiency, this latest version of DB2 is also able to run applications built on Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server applications. This essentially makes it compatible with all the major database players on the market, and is a culmination of development work to improve its software over the past few years. Dale Vile, the research director with analyst Freeform Dynamics told ZDNet, "DB2 is starting to come into its own now, and IBM is really getting the software tools together as well".

The component that is tasked with providing compatibility with applications written for Oracle is EnterpriseDB's Postgres Plus Advanced Server database. Based on the open source PostgreSQL database, Postgres Plus Advanced Server is proprietary code embedded in DB2. It provides support for all Oracle data types, SQL syntax, as well as applications built on Oracle PL/SQL stored procedures.

Already, a number of customers such as FTD and Sony Online Entertainment, have migrated applications developed for Oracle over to Postgres Plus. Still, the reality is that companies do not change database systems on whim. For organizations currently considering a switch though, the lowered barrier to switching to DB2 might just prove to be the deal clincher.

For more on this story:
- check out this article at ZDNet
- check out this article at Redmond Developer News